Nine years ago as a newly arrived expat I purchased my first Entertainer book and immediately started saving on all our dining, lifestyle and entertainment experiences. I have been a loyal advocate ever since and a regular user of the Abu Dhabi product, this Expat MUST-have has continually evolved and improved year-on-year. Now in its user friendly app form it’s always to hand on my mobile and easily shared with family members so everyone can save whenever and wherever they are located.

Originally created for the Dubai market by Australian entrepreneur Donna Benton back in 2001, The Entertainer is now available in sixteen countries worldwide. Throughout the Middle East, Europe, Asia and Africa there are vouchers for the best restaurants, activities, attractions, spas and accommodation. With new offers added daily it’s always worth checking your app before you do anything from retail to dining, fitness classes to massages and even dry cleaning, car hire and health checks.

2018 is a year of exciting changes at The Entertainer but the one thing that remains the same is the amazing discounts available across a range of activities. A complete digital transition has taken place with the focus now fully on the App, printed voucher books have been discarded with offers now only redeemable via a smartphone.

So what’s new for next year? As well as an enhanced app with additional features there’s more offers from new merchants including percentage discounts on fitness, retail, everyday services and at medical and dental clinics. Travelwise, an in-app booking engine has been introduced which offers exclusive rates on over 550,000 hotels worldwide (www.getaways.theentertainerme.com). Now you can now stay for just one night and still receive discounts.

Entertainer Goods, the online shopping platform where members can spend their smiles (smiles = the Entertainer’s virtual currency reward system) has been introduced for a variety of products. Members earn smiles when redeeming an offer, referring a friend and through redemption badges and levels. Currently smiles can be used to buy back a favourite redemption or to ping an offer to a family member or friend (you can ping up to 10 offers per product, per year to friends and family) but now they can also be used to purchase discounted fashion & accessories, sports & leisure goods, health & beauty items, electronics, jewellery, watches and gifts.

Another great feature is the Hub, an online community blog written here in the UAE (UK, Hong Kong, Singapore and South Africa versions are also available). The Hub gives readers the latest news, top tips and hottest offers to get the most out of The Entertainer in each city as well as interviews with expats of all nationalities who work and reside in the region.

Merchant partners offer additional Monthly Offers which often include incredible offers for brunches, themed evenings, exclusive activities, new spa treatments etc. Offers are added to the App at the beginning of every month and can be found in the ‘Monthly’ tab under each category. The Entertainer app is available in English and Arabic for free download on iOS and Android.

Early bird discounts are currently available on all the 2018 products worldwide available to purchase via The Entertainer website or the app. Alongside your chosen product you can select one FREE add-on of either Cheers (two for one offers on drinks – if available in your chosen country), Body (offers on spas, salons, fitness and more) or Fitness (Dubai only – discounts on fitness classes, packages and memberships). The first add-on is free but you can purchase more via the bundle option or separately at the checkout.

**For a limited time only (until 31st January) when you purchase your chosen product/s using my unique promo code you will be entered into an exclusive prize draw to win the latest top gadgets on the market. Just enter EXPAT2018 at the checkout for your chance to win either a Phantom 4 Drone, GoPro HERO 6 or an Amazon Echo**

The Entertainer App is a fantastic savings companion and a must have for expats and local residents alike especially with all the new features and instant access to your offers on your smartphone (just keep your battery charged). Redeeming a voucher is really quick, easy and efficient and the savings soon mount up especially when you have visitors in town. Who doesn’t like to save money? Purchase your Entertainer today to #SaveWithASmile in 2018.

All Entertainer 2018 products for the Middle East (Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Oman, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Jeddah, Riyadh and Eastern Province), Africa (Cape Town, Durban and Johannesburg & Pretoria), Europe (UK, Athens, Cyprus and Malta) and Asia (Bali, Hong Kong, Malaysia and Singapore) are all available to purchase at well known retailers, online via The Entertainer website www.theentertainerme.com or via The Entertainer app – don’t forget to use code EXPAT2018 at the checkoutfor entry into the prize draw.